University Calendar for Postgraduate Students 2012/13 - Queen's ...

Procedures for Dealing with Academic Offences 55
Appeals against a decision of a Chairperson of the
Board of Examiners
1.41 A student may appeal against the decision of a
Chairperson of a Board of Examiners, including a decision
that an offence denied by the student has taken place. The
appeal stating the grounds must be made, in writing, to the
Director of Academic and Student Affairs by 4.30pm within
ten working days of the date of the written notification of the
decision.
1.42 Students may appeal on any of the following grounds:
i. New evidence has become available which could not
have been provided for the earlier hearings (evidence
which was withheld from the Chairperson of the
Board of Examiners will not normally constitute new
evidence).
ii.
The finding of guilt was based upon an error in the
interpretation of the procedures for dealing with
academic offences.
iii. There was a procedural irregularity in the conduct of
the investigation.
iv. The decision of the Chairperson of the Board of
Examiners was against the weight of the evidence.
1.43 A meeting of the Academic Offences Committee will
be convened to hear the appeal.
Academic Offences Committee
1.44 The membership of the Academic Offences Committee
shall be drawn normally from a Panel of 24 members, i.e.
one nomination per School, one nomination each from
the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, the Institute
of Theology, St Mary’s University College and Stranmillis
University College, plus the Director of Academic and
Student Affairs (or nominee) who shall chair meetings.
Members shall serve three year terms for a maximum of two
consecutive terms.
1.45 The Committee shall meet to consider serious cases
referred by the Board of Examiners and appeals from
students against decisions of Chairpersons of Boards of
Examiners and Heads of School. A quorum shall normally
comprise the Chairperson plus three other members, to
include at least one male and one female member where
possible and at least one representative from each of the
three broad subject groupings within the University, i.e.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Engineering and
Physical Sciences; and Medicine, Health and Life Sciences.
No member of the Committee shall have had any previous
involvement in the case. The University reserves the right to
modify the Committee membership as required, to reflect
the diversity of the Northern Ireland community. A member
of staff from Academic and Student Affairs shall act as
Secretary to the Committee. Minutes shall be taken as a
formal record of the meeting and retained.
1.46 Academic Affairs shall invite the student to attend the
meeting in person to present his/her case. The student must
receive at least five working days’ notice in writing either by
email to their University email address or by letter, of the
date and time of the meeting. The student has the right to
be accompanied at the meeting by a registered student
of the University or by a member of staff of the university
or University Chaplaincy. No legal representation shall be
permitted. The student has the right to make a written
submission to the Committee and to submit supporting
documentary evidence in addition to appearing in person.
1.47 The Chairperson of the Board of Examiners shall be
invited to attend the meeting or to nominate a member of
the School Panel to attend in his/her place to explain the
reasons for the School’s decision. The student has the right
to be present while the School’s representative is speaking,
and the School’s representative has the right to be present
while the student is speaking.
1.48 Where a student fails to attend the meeting without
good cause, the Committee may consider the case in the
absence of the student and without further notice. It is the
responsibility of the student to establish good cause to the
satisfaction of the Committee.
1.49 In considering appeals, the Committee shall not
attempt to re-examine the student or to question the
examiners’ academic judgement.
1.50 The options open to the Committee are as follows:
Where a case has been referred by the Chairperson of a
Board of Examiners
i. To impose a penalty from among those set out in
paragraphs 1.55 or 1.56 below; or
ii.
To refer the case back to the Board of Examiners and
to recommend a course of action for it to follow, giving
brief reasons. The recommended course of action may
include imposing a penalty from among those set out
in paragraph 1.54 below.
In the case of an appeal from a student
iii. To uphold the appeal and rescind the penalty imposed
by the School or the Chairperson of the Board of
Examiners;
iv. To confirm the penalty imposed by the School or the
Chairperson of the Board of Examiners;
v. To impose a different penalty from among those
set out in the list of penalties open to the Academic
Offences Committee. This penalty may be more or less
severe than the original penalty imposed by the School
or the Chairperson of the Board of Examiners.
The Committee may refer any case to the Director of
Academic and Student Affairs for consideration under the
Fitness to Practise procedure (see Section IX: Fitness to
Practise) where it believes this to be appropriate.
1.51 The Director of Academic and Student Affairs shall
inform the student and the Chairperson of the Board of
Examiners/Head of School or nominee (as appropriate) of
the outcome of the meeting, in writing, within five working
days. The Chairperson of the Board of Examiners/Head of
School or nominee shall ensure that the student’s assessment
results are dealt with in accordance with the Committee’s
decision.
Penalties for Academic Offences
Criteria
1.52 At all stages, the following criteria will be taken into
account in deciding the level of penalty to be imposed or
other action to be taken:
(a) The extent of the plagiarism or other academic
offence.
(b) The degree of intent.
(c) The level of study and previous educational
background of the student.